Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has appointed international engineering firm AtkinsRéalis to design and manage construction of the Belfast Rapid Transit Phase 2 project, marking significant progress for the long-delayed scheme to extend the city’s Glider bus network into north and south Belfast.
The announcement, made on 29 May 2026, confirms that detailed design work will now proceed for the scaled-back extension, though the Department for Infrastructure continues to face a significant funding shortfall that has pushed the full completion date back to at least 2033.
AtkinsRéalis Appointment
The Department for Infrastructure confirmed that AtkinsRéalis has been contracted to provide design and construction management services for BRT2. The firm, which operates a Belfast office and was previously appointed to a major Translink rail signalling framework in 2024, will now advance the detailed design and prepare for the construction phase alongside DfI officials.
This appointment follows survey work that began in June 2025 and the approval of the Outline Business Case in December 2025. The project aims to replicate the success of the original Glider routes—opened in September 2018 at a cost of £90 million—which contributed to the highest public transport usage in Northern Ireland in more than two decades.
A Scaled-Back Ambition
While today’s announcement signals progress, the project has been significantly curtailed from its original vision. In February 2025, Minister Kimmins told the Assembly that full extensions to Glengormley in the north and Carryduff in the south were “not economically feasible at this time” due to a funding gap estimated at £100 million.
The current £48 million phase—comprising £35 million from the Belfast Region City Deal and £13 million from the Department—will instead deliver:
- A full extension of the G2 service to Queen’s University and Belfast City Hospital
- Bus priority measures along the Antrim Road (as far as Innisfayle Park) and Ormeau Road (as far as Park Road)
- A new park and ride facility on O’Neill Road
- A pilot scheme testing four electric Glider vehicles on the existing G1 east-west route
This represents a retreat from the original 2021 proposal for a complete north-south “G3” route. Independent monitoring suggests the earliest date for full service operation has slipped repeatedly—from an initial hope of September 2027, to autumn 2028, and now to 2033.
Minister’s Commitment
Minister Kimmins defended the project’s pace, stating that officials had been working “at pace” since her February 2025 announcement. She said:
“The Belfast Rapid Transit Glider service has been a huge success and has helped transform and modernise public transport services in east and west Belfast.
“I remain committed to the delivery of BRT Phase 2 which will extend the Glider network into north and south Belfast. My officials have been working to progress the scheme at pace since my announcement in February 2025. On site survey works began in June 2025 to inform the preliminary design, and the Outline Business Case was approved in December 2025.
“Therefore, I am pleased to confirm that AtkinsRéalis has been appointed to advance the detailed design and work closely with the DfI BRT2 project team to prepare for the construction phase.”
Context and Challenges
The announcement comes as public transport usage across Northern Ireland shows signs of recovery. According to statistics published in September 2025, there were 81.1 million public transport journeys in 2024-25—an increase of 3.6% on the previous year, though still 2.7% below pre-pandemic levels. Bus journeys specifically rose by 5.2% to 67.8 million, while rail usage declined by 3.8%.
AtkinsRéalis, formerly known as SNC-Lavalin, brings significant infrastructure experience to the project, including recent rail signalling work for Translink and a £98 million contract to upgrade Wessex rail routes in England. The firm is one of two suppliers on a £150-250 million framework to renew Northern Ireland’s rail signalling infrastructure.
Questions Remaining
Several critical questions remain unanswered following today’s announcement:
- How does the Department intend to bridge the £76-100 million funding gap required to complete the full route to Glengormley and Carryduff, and what timeline is realistic for securing these funds?
- Will the partial infrastructure being installed now (bus priority measures and halts) be sufficient to justify the disruption to traffic and parking along the Antrim and Ormeau Roads if full Glider services are delayed until 2033?
- Given that Phase 1 increased public transport usage by 25% within six months of launch, what contingency plans exist if the delayed Phase 2 fails to meet similar modal shift targets in the interim?
- How will the pilot of four electric Glider vehicles on the G1 route inform the decarbonisation strategy for the wider fleet, given that only 15% of Translink’s buses were zero-emission vehicles as of March 2025?
Construction groundwork is expected to begin later this year, with the Department maintaining that this timeline remains consistent with the Minister’s February 2025 statement—despite previous commitments that work would begin in late 2025 failing to materialise on schedule.